Advantages

Disadvantages

good but not the best

~Maxi Lash~

Maxi Lash is one of many mascaras offered by Oriflame. This mascara is presented in a sleek, red tube containing 8ml of product. Oriflame describe this mascara as having a "revolutionary dual-effect comb applicator". The combination of the mascara formula and the special brush should give 16 x more volume to your lashes. The mascara contains a lash conditioner and also beeswax.

Information taken from the company website.

~Where To Buy~

Maxi Lash mascara can be purchased from www.oriflame4me.co.uk or from an Oriflame rep. It is available in two shades - brown and black. The current selling price of this mascara is £5.95.

~My Experience~

When it comes to wearing make-up, I favour a natural look for myself. I consider my eyes to be my best feature so like to enhance them with a little bit of eye make-up. Over the years, I have tried numerous brands and types of mascara and experience of some really good ones and also some rather rubbish mascaras. I am always looking to try new mascaras and have been making use of a few Oriflame mascaras recently. The first to be reviewed is Maxi Lash in shade 'Black'.

The tube holding this mascara is simple yet attractive in design though I am more interested in the actual contents. When I first opened this mascara, I was a little confused by the applicator. I am used to a bristle brush applicator and first impressions of this applicator weren't good. What you have is a long wand with a flexible applicator on the end. The applicator looks a little flimsy in my opinion but has proven to be of a good quality and durable despite being very flexible. The applicator has two sides to it with each side having little comb indents. One side has larger indents but fewer of them whilst the other side has a few additional but smaller indents. It looked a bit daunting at first and I wasn't sure that I would like it.

Mascara is normally the second last make-up item to be applied and therefore the process needs to be smooth and free from mess. I personally find the wand to be the perfect length for applying this mascara and find it comfortable to grasp for short periods of time. I admit that I found this difficult to apply at first but this was down to me being totally confused by the style of the applicator and not really using my common sense. If you are used to soft, bristle applicators then you may find that you need to apply this a few times before you become comfortable with doing it!

Once I got the hang of applying this mascara, I found the process very straightforward and quick. The side of the applicator with the larger indents is best suited to my top set of lashes whilst the side with the smaller indents is perfect for the bottom set of lashes. The applicator combs through my lashes without pulling them and the colour transfer is instant. I don't need to keep going over my lashes for noticeable results and I find that the mascara has just the right consistency for its intended purpose. It dries fairly quickly but does feel a little heavy on my lashes for a short time after application. I find it very easy to apply this to my bottom lashes without causing any mess underneath my eyes.

Once applied, my lashes appear to be well coated but not clumpy with mascara. This mascara does a good job at lengthening my lashes and giving them a natural, fluttery appearance. The colour transfers well and my dark brown lashes are coated in a deep black colour. I like how my lashes look after applying this mascara but I personally haven't noticed any major volume boost. My lashes do look a little fuller and more defined but there is definitely not 16x more and it isn't any more appealing to use than other mascaras that I own. The results aren't outstanding.

The colour on my lashes lasts around 7 hours before fading and doesn't clump or flake. After this time, it needs topped up to maintain a neat appearance. I haven't experienced any irritation from using this mascara and find that it suits my sensitive eyes well. There are no claims about it being waterproof but I have been caught in the rain wearing it and it did run a little causing underneath my eyes to look a little black. I have found this mascara to be easily removed with my normal eye make-up remover liquid and my lashes have remained soft and in great condition thanks to the beeswax and conditioning formula in this mascara.

~Final Thoughts~

I have had a mainly positive experience with this mascara but it doesn't live up to the product claims in my opinion. It is a good quality mascara which leaves my lashes looking good. It is fine as an everyday mascara but if going on a night out then I would recommend something with a bit more of a volume boost. At £5.95, it isn't the cheapest but it lasts well and remains moist inside the tube. It is recommended that you replace mascaras after 6months of use and I follow this advice. I don't think that I would personally buy this one again as it doesn't do anything more than cheaper brands but if you are after a simple mascara then this will do the job nicely so 4 stars from me.